History Main / PowerPop

* {{Sparks}}

PowerPop is TheBeatles [[XMeetsY plus]] TheWho.

That's literally all there is to it. Power pop emerged as a genre in the middle of TheSixties, and its basic characteristics have remained unchanged since then. Power pop basically denotes bands that try to sound like a cross between TheBeatles and TheWho. There's an emphasis on strong melodies and heavy use of Beatles-styled vocal harmonies, but this is married to massive guitars and somewhat "aggressive" druming borrowed from the Who (with the jangly 12-string guitar sound of TheByrds occasionally thrown in for good measure). The result? Well, pop music with balls, so its popularity probably isn't that surprising.

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] Music/BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like 20/20, Music/TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they suffered a huge backlash and a "Knuke the Knack" campaign over the perceived misogyny of their lyrics. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were Music/NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

* Some of Music/LizPhair's material fits in here. ("Supernova", "Rocket Boy" and the like.)

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] Music/BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like 20/20, Music/TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre - they suffered a huge backlash and a "Knuke the Knack" campaign over the perceived misogyny of their lyrics. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were Music/NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

* Squeeze

* Music/TheCars (straddling the line between PowerPop and NewWave)

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] Music/BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like 20/20, Music/TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre - they suffered a huge backlash and a "Knuke the Knack" campaign over the perceived misogyny of their lyrics. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

The term "power pop" was, perhaps fittingly enough, coined by Pete Townshend in a 1967 interview to describe his band's style. Their early singles like "I Can't Explain", "The Kids Are Alright" and "Substitute", helped [[TropeCodifier codify]] the genre, merging strong Beatle-ish melodies with driving R&B-inspired rhythms and massive Marshall-stacked guitars. The Beatles themselves released harder-edged singles that helped inspire the genre, such as "Day Tripper" and "Paperback Writer", and TheKinks joined in the fun with the {{Epic Riff}}y "You Really Got Me" and "All Day and All of the Night".

* BigStar

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like 20/20, Music/TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre - they suffered a huge backlash and a "Knuke the Knack" campaign over the perceived misogyny of their lyrics. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

Power pop dropped out of the spotlight after the end of the seventies but continued to thrive underground and proved to be an important influence on AlternativeRock bands - the first wave of alt-rock bands led by {{REM}} were largely jangle-pop and owed a massive debt to power pop, especially BigStar. The genre has still had its occasional moments of mainstream success, such as MatthewSweet's "Girlfriend", GinBlossoms' "Hey Jealousy" or {{Weezer}}'s "Buddy Holly".

Power pop dropped out of the spotlight after the end of the seventies but continued to thrive underground and proved to be an important influence on AlternativeRock bands - the first wave of alt-rock bands led by {{REM}} were largely jangle-pop and owed a massive debt to power pop, especially BigStar. The genre has still had its occasional moments of mainstream success, such as MatthewSweet's "Girlfriend" or {{Weezer}}'s "Buddy Holly".

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like 20/20, TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre - they suffered a huge backlash and a "Knuke the Knack" campaign over the perceived misogyny of their lyrics. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

* TheCars (straddling the line between PowerPop and NewWave)

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like 20/20, TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre - they suffered a huge backlash and a "Knuke the Knack" campaign over the perceived misogyny of their lyrics, something no other power pop band managed to do. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like 20/20, TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

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* {{Weezer}}

Power pop dropped out of the spotlight after the end of the seventies but continued to thrive underground and proved to be an important influence on AlternativeRock bands - the first wave of alt-rock bands led by {{REM}} were largely jangle-pop and owed a massive debt to power pop, especially Big Star. The genre has still had its occasional moments of mainstream success, such as MatthewSweet's "Girlfriend" or {{Weezer}}'s "Buddy Holly".

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like TomPetty and the Heartbreakers, 20/20, TheCars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and NickLowe (most of these bands were NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

* Badfinger

* Jellyfish
* The Knack

* Nick Lowe

* The Posies

* Matthew Sweet
* Teenage Fanclub

* NRBQ
* {{Nazz}} and ToddRundgren solo
* The Raspberries
* CheapTrick

* Squeeze

* The La's
* {{Weezer}}

* Jellyfish
* The Flamin' Groovies, at least in the post-Roy Loney era.
* The Smithereens
* TheExplodingHearts
* TheNewPornographers, particularly on their early albums.

PopPunk bands often [[BlatantLies claim to be]] power pop.

TheSeventies represented the decade where PowerPop came into its own as a genre, represented by artists like Badfinger (who enjoyed the patronage of TheBeatles), The Raspberries, famous [[CultClassic cult band]] BigStar, NRBQ, [[ToddRundgren Nazz and Todd Rundgren]]. The genre also reached the peak of its mainstream popularity in the late seventies, represented chiefly by CheapTrick and others like TomPetty and the Heartbreakers, 20/20, The Cars, and The Knack. The Knack provided the genre's biggest hit with "My Sharona", but they're a massive YourMileageMayVary within the genre. Thanks to dumb British journalists who tended to use "power pop" as a catchall term, lots of bands that weren't really power pop got lumped into the genre, such as The Jam, {{Squeeze}}, The Buzzcocks, ElvisCostello, {{Blondie}}, {{XTC}} and Nick Lowe (most of these bands were NewWave, PunkRock or early AlternativeRock, with Squeeze and Nick Lowe being the closest to bona-fide Power Pop).

* TheCars

* The Smithereens

* The Flamin' Groovies, at least in the post-Roy Loney era.